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VolkerHighways invites pupils to name gritter fleet

VolkerHighways is asking school pupils in Medway to help them prepare well in advance of this year’s winter months, by naming their new fleet of gritters.

The business has teamed up with the KM Charity Team to run a competition with schools to think up fun names for eight new gritters, due to go into operation this winter.

Children under the age of 12 have until noon on Friday 6 July to come up with names. The winners will be announced at the end of July, with the gritters being named and unveiled in September.

VolkerHighways already sponsors the KM Charity Team’s walk to school initiative, ‘Walk on Wednesday’ (WoW) and has been working with Medway Council for 11 years.

Sohail Hussain, project manager for VolkerHighways, said: “We are really hoping local children will come up with some fun and imaginative names for our new gritters.

It is important for us to reach out to the community and for the people we serve to have a sense of connection to the services we provide. What better way to encourage that, than to get local schoolchildren to name our new gritters?”

Simon Dolby, KM Charity Team chief executive officer, said: “VolkerHighways plays a vital role in keeping our roads open during wintry weather, with their gritters forming the spearhead of their workforce.

The Walk to School campaign is delighted to have been asked to work with our schools to provide names for this fleet of vehicles.”

Cllr Phil Filmer, portfolio holder for Front Line Services at Medway Council, said: “Keeping Medway moving during periods of severe weather is important to us and that is why we have funded eight new gritting vehicles. The new vehicles will be used to help clear snow from the roads and spread salt to help prevent ice from forming. VolkerHighways helps keep our roads open during the wintry weather and we have a team of staff who work around the clock assisting our most vulnerable residents.”

“Our road safety team works closely with local schools throughout the year and we’re keen to get school children involved in this competition. I look forward to seeing what names the children come up with for our new winter vehicles, which will be on the roads by this winter and helping to keep Medway’s main routes safe and open.”